Rating: 3.25/5
Banner: Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Cinemas
Cast: Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Dheekshith Shetty, Shine Tom Chacko, Anant Singh, Samuthirakani, Sai Kumar, Shamna Kasim, Jhansi and others
Music: Santhosh Narayanan
Cinematographer: Sathyan Sooryan
Editor: Navin Nooli
Director: Srikanth Odela
Producer: Sudhakar Cherukuri
Release date: 30th March 2023
Natural star Nani is known for his taste of quality scripts but in the recent past he has not been able to score to his stamina at the box office. This time, he has teamed up with the protégé of logic director Sukumar so let us see how this one has gone.
Story
Set on the backdrop of the coal fields, Dharani (Nani) is a chicken hearted guy but he finds his strength in the form of his childhood friend Soori (Dheekshith). He loves his buddy so much that he sacrifices his deep love for Vennela (Keerthy) after he discovers Soori loves her. In comes Chinna Nambi (Tom Chacko), an aspiring politician who wants to become the Sarpanch. Nambi is also a strong womanizer and doesn’t hesitate to go to any extent to get the woman he lusts. How do the paths of these characters cross each other forms the rest of the tale.
Performances
Nani has given a stellar performance. In Telugu it is called as ‘Kasi toh chesadu’. He delved deep inside the skin of the character and engages at every moment. His hunger for a good role and the kick he got by doing this is seen clearly. Keerthy Suresh was yet another riveting performer. Right from a bubbly countryside girl to someone who has the shock of her life, her transition as a performer is excellent. Dheekshith Shetty was decent. Tom Chacko was vicious and fitted the role perfectly. Both high caliber performers Sai Kumar and Samuthirakani were wasted. Jhansi was natural. Anant Singh was apt. Shamna Kasim made her presence felt. The others also contributed rightly.
Crew
The story was nothing unusual and the plotline has come before. However, it is the world in which the story was set and the treatment which made the whole difference. The script was written appropriately and the screenplay was packed well. As a result, the long duration was not felt. The background score was compelling and gave enough goosebumps while cinematography was exceptional. Two songs are worth hitting the charts. The dialogues at few places were superb, however few hiccups were observed in the consistency of bringing in the Telangana dialect. Editing was crisp. The art department is the major winner, their effort is seen strongly. Costumes were upto the mark. Production values were high.
Hits
Nani, Keerthy performances
Technical excellence
First half
Background score
Misses
Storyline
Forced melodrama in few sequences
Second half
Deeper Look
Love and friendship tales in rustic backdrops always have a special flavor and when it is laced with a bit of period and countryside backdrop, the whole ambience changes. This is the smart thing the director did. Secondly, the feel of the film went to next level after seeing Nani coming out of his comfort zone and doing an outright mass role with proper Telangana slang. At a content level, the film didn’t have much but it is the treatment and the technical expertise which gave it a good appeal. The icing on the cake were the performances. Perhaps the director could have infused few elements of humor which would have really elevated the whole entertainment quotient. The film takes off in the right manner and the mood is set properly. The interval bang was spot on. However, things didn’t go the same way in the second half. Few forced melodramatic scenes and stretching them was a sore to the eyes. But those drag moments are forgotten after seeing the astounding climax. It was a visual treat and Nani showed his Viswaroopam in it. Overall, the film has a strong appeal to the mass audience while it may get serious and intense for the class and overseas audience. The lack of entertainment quotient is a spoiler or else the film would have been a wow treat. Yet, the box office potential looks solid for this one.
Vox Verdict
Happy ‘Box Office’ Dasara
